


Shcherbina's Coat

by Sinnercentral



Category: Chernobyl (TV 2019)
Genre: Boris enjoys ordering Valery around, Fluff, M/M, No Sex, Pre-Slash, Valery is timid as fuck, Valery needs someone to take care of him ok, and that someone is Boris, no beta we die like men, possessive Boris, soft stuff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-06
Updated: 2019-07-06
Packaged: 2020-06-22 10:28:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19665598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sinnercentral/pseuds/Sinnercentral
Summary: Valery's mind is too preoccupied to care for himself. On a particularly cold night late on site, Valery gets increasingly cold until Boris shoves his great big coat at him and orders him to put it on.





	Shcherbina's Coat

**Author's Note:**

> disclaimer: Obviously I'm writing for the television adaption and not the real people.  
> also disclaimer: I'm sorry if I got weather conditions mixed up at all? I assume it must be cold enough to wear a coat around if Boris is doing so, but if I'm wrong just suspend reality

It was a late night on site this evening. Usually Boris and Valery were back at the hotel by now, staying up late frowning over paper work and yet here they were, pacing the grounds as it got later and later. The night was colder than usual but Boris had experienced far harsher temperatures in his time. It didn't bother him in the slightest, especially with the addition of his large dense coat. Valery on the other hand... Boris knew the man had a habit of wringing his hands anxiously, but tonight he rubbed them together for friction, arms tensed tightly to his sides.

"Valery." He said when they were left standing by themselves. He looked over at Boris, eyebrow raised slightly in his usual passive way of question. "Are you warm enough?" He asked. Valery's hands froze and his eyes widened slightly. He resembled a boy being caught doing something he wasn't supposed to do. The man was always so timid and wide eyed around him even still. Boris was unsure why that fact annoyed and bothered him. Perhaps it was his growing sense of endearment and protectiveness for him. He wanted Valery to feel that he was safe around him and yet Valery's body language didn't translate to a man at ease.

"Yes. Yes of course." He stumbled to say. His fingers threaded through each other and he wrung his hands nervously. Boris watched him, gaze heavy and pressing for a more truthful answer. At the hanging silence Valery subconsciously shrunk back slightly and Boris repressed the urge to roll his eyes in irritation. He made a small grunt of acceptance at Valery's answer and looked away. He was allowed this small lie. He turned away from the shorter man, walking away and hearing him fall into step close behind him. 

Valery didn't improve as the night went on, and neither did his answers whenever Boris would ask him the same question in various ways. _Are you warm enough? Are you cold? Do you need to go fetch a coat?_ Valery had told him then that he hadn't even brought a coat with him to Chernobyl. The fool. He was unable to care for himself- no, that was unfair. His mind was so obviously preoccupied for trying to care for everyone that he forgot himself. He forgot himself far too often and Boris found himself reaching out to Valery more and more. He was starting to order Valery around in ways that he hadn't before as a result of beginning to care for the man's well being. _Go to bed Valery, it's late. Drink this Valery, it'll help. Did you take your iodine tablet today, don't tell me you forgot. Time to take a break. What's on your mind? We're going for a walk. You need to eat Valera._ He'd feel embarrassed about it if it wasn't for the fact that he felt so self righteous about it. Valery wasn't taking care of himself and so someone had to. 

Boris' teeth were set on edge more and more throughout the night with every glaringly obvious lie Valery told him. It was so painfully obvious how cold Valery was, no matter how much he denied it. The scientist's upper body was rigid and tightly coiled, arms crossed firmly, jaw clenched to repress his teeth from chattering and a slight shiver running through his body. Valery's shyness was mightily misleading for just how stubborn he was. It was when sneezed that Boris finally gave up on waiting for Valery to admit that he was cold. He wouldn't allow Valery's insolence to lead to him getting ill. 

With sharp irritated movements, Boris practically tore off his coat, turning to face Valery with a thunderous expression. He looked up, near shoving it into his chest. Valery startled abruptly, looking at Boris with that arched eyebrow again. Boris wondered in the back of his mind if he would ever hear Valery ask _"what?"_ , or would he only ever insinuate the question?

"Put it on." Boris said grouchily. A look of understanding dawned on Valery's face and he raised his palms, already beginning to shake his head in a decline.

"I'm fine, seriously." He implored, suddenly embarrassed that he'd come across as weak and unable to fend for himself. Boris' thunderous expression seemed to grow darker. His arm holding out the coat dropped down to his side.

"Not only have you not worn adequate clothing for tonight, but now I have to dress you like I'm your father?" He scolded, tone portraying just how over Valery's lying he was. Valery spluttered at the words, unable to form a response that Boris didn't wait for anyway. He walked around behind Valery. "Lift your arms." He commanded, meaning business. Valery didn't argue this time, moving quickly to the words as if it was his instinct. Boris felt a twinge of satisfaction at his obedience as he slipped the coat up his arms and onto him. 

Boris walked around until he was in front of Valery. He looked him up and down. Valery looked himself up and down, raising his arms up. The sleeves were too big. Everything was too big. The coat that framed Boris' sharp shoulders and accentuated his broad frame and tall height did nothing but dwarf Valery. It was... extremely endearing. 

Valery looked up with a pained expression. 

"Boris, I look ridiculous." He whined imploringly. 

"But you'll no longer be cold." Boris replied sternly although tone slightly warmer than previously. He was extremely pleased with this, far more than he was letting show. 

Boris was right of course. Valery was already feeling warmer. The heavy material was interlaced with Boris' body heat, the remnants of his warmth staying snugly within the coat. He looked down again at himself. It felt almost intimate to be standing here in Boris' clothes, wrapped in the heat that he'd created with his body. Valery felt a blush rising to his face and he hoped it wasn't as obvious as it felt.

"You'll keep that on for the rest of the night." Boris ordered and Valery looked up at him again. "Let this be a lesson to you to dress appropriately for the weather." 

Valery felt a protest rising in his throat and his lips parted to speak them. What would people think, seeing him walking around in Boris' coat? He looked utterly comical with the way that the sleeves hung slightly over his hands, the coat hanging a bit too lowly, the shoulders fitting too broadly. But one sharp look from Boris had him closing his mouth and nodding in resigned acceptance. When Boris turned around and began to walk, Valery followed, reaching up and pulling the coat tighter around him, secretly revelling in the warmth.

Valery walked around the rest of the night on site in Boris' big oversized coat, not challenging him to take it off at any point (which satisfied Boris exceedingly). It amused Boris greatly to see him in an item of clothing that looked so ginormous on him. He'd occasionally catch Valery's eye and give him an amused slight smile to which would cause Valery to divert his gaze and smile down at the ground. But more than anything deep down it satisfied Boris to see him wearing his clothes. He wasn't sure entirely why. Perhaps it was his possessive nature slyly rearing its head, satisfied for others to see Valery in his clothes that would mark that he was his and no one else's.

When they got back to the hotel that night, Valery sat down heavily on the couch, exhausted after a long day. Boris had gone to fill him a glass of vodka as he usually did, leaving the room briefly. When he returned, he found Valery slumped down to the side, glasses held loosely in hand. He slept the most soundly that night than he had in any while at Chernobyl, despite having had passed out on the couch and despite being kept warm with nothing more than Boris' coat. 

Valery gave the coat back the next day with a bashful smile and a quiet thank you that only Boris heard. 

**Author's Note:**

> I did read over this but knowing me I've missed an error or two. Feel free to point out any small mistakes so I can correct them :)


End file.
